129-415: The Mishima Yukio Prize ( 三島由紀夫賞 , Mishima Yukio Shō ) is a Japanese literary award presented annually. It was established in 1988 in memory of author Yukio Mishima . The Mishima Yukio Prize is explicitly intended for work that "breaks new ground for the future of literature," and prize winners tend to be more controversial and experimental than winners of the more traditional Akutagawa Prize . It
258-490: A 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting. Heian women were traditionally excluded from learning Chinese , the written language of government, but Murasaki, raised in her erudite father's household, showed a precocious aptitude for the Chinese classics and managed to acquire fluency. She married in her mid-to-late twenties and gave birth to a daughter, Daini no Sanmi . Her husband died after two years of marriage. It
387-570: A Cat (1905) with humor and satire, then depicted fresh and pure youth in Botchan (1906) and Sanshirō (1908). He eventually pursued transcendence of human emotions and egoism in his later works including Kokoro (1914) and his last and unfinished novel Light and darkness (1916). Shimazaki shifted from Romanticism to Naturalism which was established with his The Broken Commandment (1906) and Katai Tayama 's Futon (1907). Naturalism hatched "I Novel" ( Watakushi-shōsetu ) that describes
516-507: A Chinese-Japanese creole language. Indian literature also had an influence through the spread of Buddhism in Japan . During the Heian period , Japan's original kokufū culture ( lit. ' national culture ' ) developed and literature also established its own style, with the significant usage and development of kana ( 仮名 ) to write Japanese literature. Following the end of
645-691: A base located on the Sakurajima volcanic island, close to Kagoshima , on the southern tip of Kyushu . Osamu Dazai 's novel The Setting Sun tells of a soldier returning from Manchukuo . Shōhei Ōoka won the Yomiuri Prize for his novel Fires on the Plain about a Japanese deserter going mad in the Philippine jungle. Yukio Mishima , well known for both his nihilistic writing and his controversial suicide by seppuku , began writing in
774-444: A best-selling contemporary author whose "manga-esque" style of writing sparked much controversy when she debuted in the late 1980s, has come to be recognized as a unique and talented author over the intervening years. Her writing style stresses dialogue over description, resembling the script of a manga , and her works focus on love, friendship, and loss. Her breakout work was 1988's Kitchen . Although modern Japanese writers covered
903-447: A cat as the narrator, and he also wrote the famous novels Botchan (1906) and Kokoro (1914). Natsume, Mori Ōgai , and Shiga Naoya , who was called "god of the novel" as the most prominent " I novel " writer, were instrumental in adopting and adapting Western literary conventions and techniques. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa is known especially for his historical short stories. Ozaki Kōyō , Kyōka Izumi , and Ichiyo Higuchi represent
1032-468: A celestial war, and is found and raised by a bamboo cutter. She is later taken back to her extraterrestrial family in an illustrated depiction of a disc-shaped flying object similar to a flying saucer . During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), Japan experienced many civil wars which led to the development of a warrior class, and subsequent war tales, histories, and related stories. Work from this period
1161-414: A collection of 128 poems. Her work is considered important for its reflection of the creation and development of Japanese writing, during a period when Japanese shifted from an unwritten vernacular to a written language. Until the 9th century, Japanese language texts were written in Chinese characters using the man'yōgana writing system. A revolutionary achievement was the development of kana ,
1290-448: A continual torment to me." A court position would have increased her social standing, but more importantly she gained a greater experience to write about. Court life, as she experienced it, is well reflected in the chapters of Genji written after she joined Shōshi. The name Murasaki was most probably given to her at a court dinner in an incident she recorded in her diary: in 1008 the well-known court poet Fujiwara no Kintō inquired after
1419-653: A decline in the importance of the imperial court, aristocratic literature remained the center of Japanese culture at the beginning of the Kamakura period. Many literary works were marked by a nostalgia for the Heian period. The Kamakura period also saw a renewed vitality of poetry, with a number of anthologies compiled, such as the Shin Kokin Wakashū compiled in the early 1200s. However, there were fewer notable works by female authors during this period, reflecting
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#17327937514161548-424: A gift for dashing off informal compositions in a careless running-hand; but in poetry she needs either an interesting subject or some classic model to imitate. Indeed it does not seem to me that in herself she is really a poet at all." Sei Shōnagon , author of The Pillow Book , had been in service as lady-in-waiting to Teishi when Shōshi came to court; it is possible that Murasaki was invited to Shōshi's court as
1677-399: A high degree of individualism. Children's works re-emerged in the 1950s, and the newer entrants into this field, many of the younger women, brought new vitality to it in the 1980s. Manga — Japanese comics — have penetrated almost every sector of the popular market. They include virtually every field of human interest, such as multivolume high-school histories of Japan and, additionally for
1806-426: A lover—possibly her husband before he died—but she may have merely followed tradition and written simple love poems. They contain biographical details: she mentions a sister who died, the visit to Echizen province with her father and that she wrote poetry for Shōshi. Murasaki's poems were published in 1206 by Fujiwara no Teika , in what Mulhern believes to be the collection that is closest to the original form; at around
1935-547: A major work in the form of a travel diary , considered "one of the major texts of classical Japanese literature." Fukuda Chiyo-ni (1703–1775) is widely regarded as one of the greatest haiku poets. Before her time, haiku by women were often dismissed and ignored. Her dedication toward her career not only paved a way for her career but it also opened a path for other women to follow. Her early poems were influenced by Matsuo Bashō, although she did later develop her own unique style as an independent figure in her own right. While still
2064-511: A narrator, but Keene claims Murasaki developed the genre far beyond its bounds, and by doing so created a form that is utterly modern. The story of the "shining prince" Genji is set in the late 9th to early 10th centuries, and Murasaki eliminated from it the elements of fairy tales and fantasy frequently found in earlier monogatari . The themes in Genji are common to the period, and are defined by Shively as encapsulating "the tyranny of time and
2193-542: A position that Bowring describes as a companion-tutor. Women of high status lived in seclusion at court and, through strategic marriages, were used to gain political power for their families. In the case of Shōshi and other such marriages to members of the imperial clan, it enabled the woman's clan to exercise influence over the emperor—this was how Michinaga, and other Fujiwara Regents, achieved their power. Despite their seclusion, some women wielded considerable influence, often achieved through competitive salons , dependent on
2322-400: A rare female writer in this era, wrote short stories on powerless women of this age in a simple style in between literary and colloquial. Kyōka Izumi , a favored disciple of Ozaki, pursued a flowing and elegant style and wrote early novels such as The Operating Room (1895) in literary style and later ones including The Holy Man of Mount Koya (1900) in colloquial language. Romanticism
2451-567: A rival to Shōnagon. Teishi died in 1001, before Murasaki entered service with Shōshi, so the two writers were not there concurrently, but Murasaki, who wrote about Shōnagon in her diary, certainly knew of her, and to an extent was influenced by her. Shōnagon's The Pillow Book may have been commissioned as a type of propaganda to highlight Teishi's court, known for its educated ladies-in-waiting. Japanese literature scholar Joshua Mostow believes Michinaga provided Murasaki to Shōshi as an equally or better educated woman, so as to showcase Shōshi's court in
2580-558: A similar manner. The two writers had different temperaments: Shōnagon was witty, clever, and outspoken; Murasaki was withdrawn and sensitive. Entries in Murasaki's diary show that the two may not have been on good terms. Murasaki wrote, "Sei Shōnagon ... was dreadfully conceited. She thought herself so clever, littered her writing with Chinese characters, [which] left a great deal to be desired." Keene thinks that Murasaki's impression of Shōnagon could have been influenced by Shōshi and
2709-765: A story capturing the complex psychology of modern women. Other award-winning stories at the end of the decade dealt with current issues of the elderly in hospitals, the recent past (Pure-Hearted Shopping District in Kōenji , Tokyo), and the life of a Meiji period ukiyo-e artist. Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular and controversial of today's Japanese authors. His genre-defying, humorous and surreal works have sparked fierce debates in Japan over whether they are true "literature" or simple pop-fiction: Kenzaburō Ōe has been one of his harshest critics. Some of Murakami's best-known works include Norwegian Wood (1987) and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–1995). Banana Yoshimoto ,
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#17327937514162838-528: A strain of writers whose style hearkens back to early-Modern Japanese literature. In the early Meiji period (1868–1880s), Fukuzawa Yukichi authored Enlightenment literature, while pre-modern popular books depicted the quickly changing country. Realism was brought in by Tsubouchi Shōyō and Futabatei Shimei in the mid-Meiji period (late 1880s–early 1890s) while the Classicism of Ozaki Kōyō, Yamada Bimyo and Kōda Rohan gained popularity. Ichiyō Higuchi ,
2967-516: A subject of scholarly criticism . Between 1925 and 1933, The Tale of Genji was published in English. Scholars continue to recognize the importance of her work, which reflects Heian court society at its peak. Since the 13th century her works have been illustrated by Japanese artists and well-known ukiyo-e woodblock masters. Murasaki Shikibu was born c. 973 in Heian-kyō , Japan, into
3096-474: A teenager, she had already become very popular all over Japan for her poetry. Her poems, although mostly dealing with nature, work for unity of nature with humanity. Her own life was that of the haikai poets who made their lives and the world they lived in one with themselves, living a simple and humble life. She was able to make connections by being observant and carefully studying the unique things around her ordinary world and writing them down. Rangaku
3225-537: A timeless voice. Japan has not seen another such genius." Keene writes that The Tale of Genji continues to captivate, because, in the story, her characters and their concerns are universal. When Waley's translation ( The Tale of Genji: A Novel in Six Parts ) was published in 1933, reviewers compared Genji to Austen , Proust , and Shakespeare . Mulhern says of Murasaki that she is similar to Shakespeare, who represented his Elizabethan England , in that she captured
3354-539: A true Japanese script, in the mid-to late 9th century. Japanese authors began to write prose in their own language, which led to genres such as tales ( monogatari ) and poetic journals ( Nikki Bungaku ). Historian Edwin Reischauer writes that genres such as the monogatari were distinctly Japanese and that Genji , written in kana , "was the outstanding work of the period". Murasaki began her diary after she entered service at Shōshi's court. Much of what
3483-422: A view into the Heian period; for example love affairs flourished, although women typically remained unseen behind screens, curtains or fusuma . Helen McCullough describes Murasaki's writing as of universal appeal and believes The Tale of Genji "transcends both its genre and age. Its basic subject matter and setting—love at the Heian court—are those of the romance, and its cultural assumptions are those of
3612-530: A virtuous woman and poet. She is often shown at her desk in Ishiyama Temple, staring at the Moon for inspiration. Tosa Mitsuoki made her the subject of hanging scrolls in the 17th century. The Tale of Genji became a favorite subject of Japanese ukiyo-e artists for centuries with artists such as Hiroshige , Kiyonaga , and Utamaro illustrating various editions of the novel. While early Genji art
3741-432: A wide variety of subjects, one particularly Japanese approach stressed their subjects' inner lives, widening the earlier novel's preoccupation with the narrator's consciousness. In Japanese fiction, plot development and action have often been of secondary interest to emotional issues. In keeping with the general trend toward reaffirming national characteristics, many old themes re-emerged, and some authors turned consciously to
3870-461: A work of such length. Michinaga provided her with costly paper and ink, and with calligraphers. The first handwritten volumes were probably assembled and bound by ladies-in-waiting. In his The Pleasures of Japanese Literature , Keene claims Murasaki wrote the "supreme work of Japanese fiction" by drawing on traditions of waka court diaries, and earlier monogatari —written in a mixture of Chinese script and Japanese script—such as The Tale of
3999-475: Is also known as Japan's Shakespeare . Many different genres of literature made their debut during the Edo period, helped by a rising literacy rate among the growing population of townspeople, as well as the development of lending libraries. Ihara Saikaku (1642–1693) might be said to have given birth to the modern consciousness of the novel in Japan, mixing vernacular dialogue into his humorous and cautionary tales of
Mishima Yukio Prize - Misplaced Pages Continue
4128-678: Is awarded in the same annual ceremony as the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize , which was established by the same sponsor in 1988 to recognize popular writing and genre fiction. Shinchosha , the award's sponsor, maintains an official archive of award nominee and recipient information. Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures , most notably China and its literature . Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or lit. ' Chinese writing ' ( 漢文 , kanbun ) ,
4257-456: Is beginning to acquire more experience of life, and no longer judges others by the same rigid standards as before; but meanwhile her Court has gained a reputation for extreme dullness". Murasaki disliked the men at court, whom she thought were drunken and stupid. However, some scholars, such as Waley, are certain she was involved romantically with Michinaga. At the least, Michinaga pursued her and pressured her strongly, and her flirtation with him
4386-557: Is believed that Chinese characters came to Japan at the very beginning of the 5th century, brought by immigrants from Korea and China. Early Japanese texts first followed the Chinese model, before gradually transitioning to a hybrid of Chinese characters used in Japanese syntactical formats, resulting in sentences written with Chinese characters but read phonetically in Japanese. Chinese characters were also further adapted, creating what
4515-563: Is considered the pre-eminent novel of Heian fiction. Other important writings of this period include the Kokin Wakashū (905), a waka -poetry anthology, and The Pillow Book ( Makura no Sōshi , 990s) . The Pillow Book was written by Sei Shōnagon , Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival, as an essay about the life, loves, and pastimes of nobles in the Emperor's court. Another notable piece of fictional Japanese literature
4644-438: Is generally accepted as the date of Murasaki Shikibu's death and 973 as the date of her birth, making her 41 when she died. Bowring considers 1014 to be speculative, and believes she may have lived with Shōshi until as late as 1025. Waley agrees given that Murasaki may have attended ceremonies with Shōshi held for Shōshi's son, Emperor Go-Ichijō around 1025. Murasaki's brother Nobunori died in around 1011, which, combined with
4773-648: Is known about her and her experiences at court comes from the diary, which covers the period from about 1008 to 1010. The long descriptive passages, some of which may have originated as letters, cover her relationships with the other ladies-in-waiting, Michinaga's temperament, the birth of Shōshi's sons—at Michinaga's mansion rather than at the Imperial Palace—and the process of writing Genji , including descriptions of passing newly written chapters to calligraphers for transcriptions. Typical of contemporary court diaries written to honor patrons, Murasaki devotes half to
4902-618: Is known as man'yōgana , the earliest form of kana , or Japanese syllabic writing. The earliest literary works in Japan were created in the Nara period. These include the Kojiki (712), a historical record that also chronicles ancient Japanese mythology and folk songs; the Nihon Shoki (720), a chronicle written in Chinese that is significantly more detailed than the Kojiki ; and
5031-579: Is known as Japan's Mark Twain and wrote Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige , which is a mix of travelogue and comedy. Tsuga Teisho , Takebe Ayatari , and Okajima Kanzan were instrumental in developing the yomihon , which were historical romances almost entirely in prose, influenced by Chinese vernacular novels such as Sangoku-shi ( 三国志 , Three Kingdoms ) and Suikoden ( 水滸伝 , Water Margin ) . Two yomihon masterpieces were written by Ueda Akinari (1734–1809): Ugetsu Monogatari and Harusame Monogatari . Kyokutei Bakin (1767–1848) wrote
5160-466: Is known she was writing after she was widowed, perhaps in a state of grief. In her diary she describes her feelings after her husband's death: "I felt depressed and confused. For some years I had existed from day to day in listless fashion ... doing little more than registering the passage of time ... The thought of my continuing loneliness was quite unbearable". According to legend, Murasaki retreated to Ishiyama-dera at Lake Biwa , where she
5289-619: Is notable for its more somber tone compared to the works of previous eras, with themes of life and death, simple lifestyles, and redemption through killing. A representative work is The Tale of the Heike ( Heike Monogatari , 1371) , an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. Other important tales of the period include Kamo no Chōmei 's Hōjōki (1212) and Yoshida Kenkō 's Tsurezuregusa (1331). Despite
Mishima Yukio Prize - Misplaced Pages Continue
5418-452: Is recognized as some of the earliest and among the best literature written in Japanese canon . When in 995 Michinaga's two brothers Fujiwara no Michitaka and Fujiwara no Michikane died, leaving the regency vacant, Michinaga quickly won a power struggle against his nephew Fujiwara no Korechika (brother to Teishi , Emperor Ichijō 's wife), and, aided by his sister Senshi, he assumed power. Teishi had supported her brother Korechika, who
5547-496: Is recognized as the greatest master of haiku (then called hokku ). His poems were influenced by his firsthand experience of the world around him, often encapsulating the feeling of a scene in a few simple elements. He made his life's work the transformation of haikai into a literary genre. For Bashō, haikai involved a combination of comic playfulness and spiritual depth, ascetic practice, and involvement in human society. In particular, Bashō wrote Oku no Hosomichi ,
5676-402: Is recorded in her diary as late as 1010. Yet, she wrote to him in a poem, "You have neither read my book, nor won my love." In her diary she records having to avoid advances from Michinaga—one night he sneaked into her room, stealing a newly written chapter of Genji. However, Michinaga's patronage was essential if she was to continue writing. Murasaki described her daughter's court activities:
5805-521: Is uncertain when she began to write The Tale of Genji , but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, she was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shōshi at the Imperial court by Fujiwara no Michinaga , probably because of her reputation as a writer. She continued to write during her service, adding scenes from court life to her work. After five or six years, she left court and retired with Shōshi to
5934-453: The Man'yōshū (759), a poetry anthology. One of the stories they describe is the tale of Urashima Tarō . The Heian period has been referred to as the golden era of art and literature in Japan. During this era, literature became centered on a cultural elite of nobility and monks. The imperial court particularly patronized the poets, most of whom were courtiers or ladies-in-waiting. Reflecting
6063-514: The sakoku policy and especially during the increasing westernization of the Meiji era , Western literature has also had an influence on the development of modern Japanese writers, while Japanese literature has in turn become more recognized internationally, leading to two Japanese Nobel laureates in literature, namely Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburō Ōe . Before the introduction of kanji from China to Japan, Japan had no writing system; it
6192-495: The Genji was written is shown—with the ink-slab which the author used, and a Buddhist Sutra in her handwriting, which, if they do not satisfy the critic, still are sufficient to carry conviction to the minds of ordinary visitors to the temple." Murasaki may have died in 1014. Her father made a hasty return to Kyoto from his post at Echigo Province that year, possibly because of her death. Writing in A Bridge of Dreams: A Poetics of "The Tale of Genji" , Shirane mentions that 1014
6321-493: The Heian era the use of names, insofar as they were recorded, did not follow a modern pattern. A court lady, as well as being known by the title of her own position, if any, took a name referring to the rank or title of a male relative. Thus "Shikibu" is not a modern surname, but refers to Shikibu-shō , the Ministry of Ceremonials where Murasaki's father was a functionary. "Murasaki", an additional name possibly derived from
6450-469: The Lake Biwa region. Scholars differ on the year of her death; although most agree on 1014, others have suggested she was alive in 1025. Murasaki wrote The Diary of Lady Murasaki , a volume of poetry, as well as The Tale of Genji . Within a decade of its completion, Genji was distributed throughout the provinces; within a century it was recognized as a classic of Japanese literature and had become
6579-461: The patrilineal system was still followed. Murasaki was unconventional because she lived in her father's household, most likely on Teramachi Street in Kyoto, with her younger brother Nobunori. Their mother died, perhaps in childbirth, when they were quite young. Murasaki had at least three half-siblings raised with their mothers; she was very close to one sister who died in her twenties. Murasaki
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#17327937514166708-552: The "Young Murasaki"—an allusion to the character named Murasaki in Genji —which would have been considered a compliment from a male court poet to a female author. When Emperor Ichijō died in 1011, Shōshi retired from the Imperial Palace to live in a Fujiwara mansion in Biwa, most likely accompanied by Murasaki, who is recorded as being there with Shōshi in 1013. George Aston explains that when Murasaki retired from court she
6837-460: The 17th century genji-e symbolically imbued a bride with an increased level of cultural status; by the 18th century they had come to symbolize marital success. In 1628, Tokugawa Iemitsu 's daughter had a set of lacquer boxes made for her wedding; Prince Toshitada received a pair of silk genji-e screens , painted by Kanō Tan'yū as a wedding gift in 1649. Murasaki became a popular subject of paintings and illustrations highlighting her as
6966-399: The 1980s. Many popular works fell between "pure literature" and pulp novels, including all sorts of historical serials, information-packed docudramas, science fiction, mysteries, detective fiction , business stories, war journals, and animal stories. Non-fiction covered everything from crime to politics. Although factual journalism predominated, many of these works were interpretive, reflecting
7095-482: The Bamboo Cutter or The Tales of Ise . She drew on and blended styles from Chinese histories, narrative poetry and contemporary Japanese prose. Adolphson writes that the juxtaposition of formal Chinese style with mundane subjects resulted in a sense of parody or satire, giving her a distinctive voice. Genji follows the traditional format of monogatari —telling a tale—particularly evident in its use of
7224-547: The Dunes (1960), wanted to express the Japanese experience in modern terms without using either international styles or traditional conventions, developed new inner visions. Yoshikichi Furui related the lives of alienated urban dwellers coping with the minutiae of daily life, while the psychodramas within such daily life crises have been explored by a rising number of important women novelists. The 1988 Naoki Prize went to Shizuko Todo [ ja ] for Ripening Summer ,
7353-562: The Dutch-language anatomy book Ontleedkundige Tafelen . As a full-blown translation from a Western language, it was the first of its kind in Japan. Although there was a minor Western influence trickling into the country from the Dutch settlement at Nagasaki , it was the importation of Chinese vernacular fiction that proved the greatest outside influence on the development of Early Modern Japanese fiction. Jippensha Ikku (1765–1831)
7482-408: The Emperor and his courtiers, one of whom remarked that the author showed a high level of education. Murasaki wrote in her diary, "How utterly ridiculous! Would I, who hesitate to reveal my learning to my women at home, ever think of doing so at court?" Although the nickname was apparently meant to be disparaging, Mulhern believes Murasaki was flattered by it. The attitude toward the Chinese language
7611-414: The Imperial Palace. She gathered around her talented women writers such as Izumi Shikibu and Akazome Emon —the author of an early vernacular history, The Tale of Flowering Fortunes . The rivalry that existed among the women is evident in Murasaki's diary, where she wrote disparagingly of Izumi: "Izumi Shikibu is an amusing letter-writer; but there is something not very satisfactory about her. She has
7740-481: The Japanese literary language, even at a time when the authors themselves experienced challenges due to their gender. One Meiji-period writer, Shimizu Shikin , sought to encourage positive comparisons between her contemporaries and their female forebears in the hopes that female authors would be viewed with respect by society, despite assuming a public role outside the traditional confines of a woman's role in her home (see Good Wife, Wise Mother ). Other notable authors of
7869-506: The Meiji period included Hiratsuka Raicho , Higuchi Ichiyo , Tamura Toshiko , Nogami Yaeko and Yosano Akiko . Japan has some literary contests and awards in which authors can participate and be awarded. The Akutagawa Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards, and receives wide attention from media. Murasaki Shikibu Murasaki Shikibu ( 紫式部 , ' Lady Murasaki ' ; c. 973 – c. 1014 or 1025 )
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#17327937514167998-682: The Nobel Prize for Literature . Mitsuharu Inoue had long been concerned with the atomic bomb and continued in the 1980s to write on problems of the nuclear age, while Shūsaku Endō depicted the religious dilemma of the Kakure Kirishitan , Roman Catholics in feudal Japan, as a springboard to address spiritual problems. Yasushi Inoue also turned to the past in masterful historical novels of Inner Asia and ancient Japan, in order to portray present human fate. Avant-garde writers, such as Kōbō Abe , who wrote novels such as The Woman in
8127-482: The State Academy ( Daigaku-ryō ) and became a well-respected scholar of Chinese classics and poetry; his own verse was anthologized. He entered public service around 968 as a minor official and was given a governorship in 996, staying in service until about 1018. Murasaki's mother was descended from the same branch of northern Fujiwara as Tametoki. The couple had three children, a son and two daughters. In
8256-572: The Tokugawa period, as in earlier periods, scholarly work continued to be published in Chinese, which was the language of the learned much as Latin was in Europe. The Meiji period marked the re-opening of Japan to the West, ending over two centuries of national seclusion , and marking the beginning of a period of rapid industrialization. The introduction of European literature brought free verse into
8385-435: The adult market, a manga introduction to economics, and pornography ( hentai ). Manga represented between 20 and 30 percent of annual publications at the end of the 1980s, in sales of some ¥400 billion per year. Light novels , a Japanese type of young adult novel , often feature plots and illustrations similar to those seen in manga. Many manga are fan-made ( dōjinshi ). Literature utilizing new media began to appear at
8514-408: The advance on Nanjing. Writers who opposed the war include Denji Kuroshima , Mitsuharu Kaneko , Hideo Oguma and Jun Ishikawa . World War II , and Japan's defeat, deeply influenced Japanese literature. Many authors wrote stories of disaffection, loss of purpose, and the coping with defeat. Haruo Umezaki 's short story Sakurajima shows a disillusioned and skeptical Navy officer stationed in
8643-453: The aristocratic atmosphere, the poetry was elegant and sophisticated and expressed emotions in a rhetorical style. Editing the resulting anthologies of poetry soon became a national pastime. The iroha poem, now one of two standard orderings for the Japanese syllabary , was also developed during the early Heian period. The Tale of Genji ( Genji Monogatari ) , written in the early 11th century by female courtier Murasaki Shikibu ,
8772-510: The authors themselves and depicts their own mental states. Neo-romanticism came out of anti-naturalism and was led by Kafū Nagai , Jun'ichirō Tanizaki , Kōtarō Takamura , Hakushū Kitahara and others in the early 1910s. Saneatsu Mushanokōji , Naoya Shiga and others founded a magazine Shirakaba in 1910. They shared a common characteristic, Humanism. Shiga's style was autobiographical and depicted states of his mind and sometimes classified as "I Novel" in this sense. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa , who
8901-466: The birth of Shōshi's son Emperor Go-Ichijō, an event of enormous importance to Michinaga: he had planned for it with his daughter's marriage which made him grandfather and de facto regent to an emperor. Poetic Memoirs is a collection of 128 poems Mulhern describes as "arranged in a biographical sequence". The original set has been lost. According to custom, the verses would have been passed from person to person and often copied. Some appear written for
9030-549: The calligraphy to various well-known contemporary calligraphers. The scroll is housed at the Gotoh Museum and the Tokugawa Art Museum . Female virtue was tied to literary knowledge in the 17th century, leading to a demand for Murasaki or Genji inspired artifacts, known as genji-e . Dowry sets decorated with scenes from Genji or illustrations of Murasaki became particularly popular for noblewomen: in
9159-503: The color violet associated with wisteria , the meaning of the word fuji (an element of her clan name), may have been bestowed on her at court in reference to the name she herself had given to the main female character in "Genji". Michinaga mentions the names of several ladies-in-waiting in a 1007 diary entry; one, Fujiwara no Takako (Kyōshi), may be Murasaki's personal name. In Heian-era Japan, husbands and wives kept separate households; children were raised with their mothers, although
9288-500: The common people, and setsuwa such as the Nihon Ryoiki were created by Buddhist priests for preaching. The development of roads, along with a growing public interest in travel and pilgrimages, brought rise to the greater popularity of travel literature from the early 13th to 14th centuries. Notable examples of travel diaries include Fuji kikō (1432) and Tsukushi michi no ki (1480). Literature during this time
9417-489: The court, and forced her to hide her knowledge of Chinese. Unlike Shōnagon, who was both ostentatious and flirtatious, as well as outspoken about her knowledge of Chinese, Murasaki seems to have been humble, an attitude which possibly impressed Michinaga. Although Murasaki used Chinese and incorporated it in her writing, she publicly rejected the language, a commendable attitude during a period of burgeoning Japanese culture. Murasaki seems to have been unhappy with court life and
9546-427: The death of his daughter, may have prompted her father to resign his post and take vows at Miidera temple where he died in 1029. Murasaki's daughter entered court service in 1025 as a wet nurse to the future Emperor Go-Reizei (1025–1068). She went on to become a well-known poet as Daini no Sanmi . Three works are attributed to Murasaki: The Tale of Genji , The Diary of Lady Murasaki and Poetic Memoirs ,
9675-460: The debut of several authors best known for the beauty of their language and their tales of love and sensuality, notably Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Japan's first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature , Yasunari Kawabata , a master of psychological fiction. Ashihei Hino wrote lyrical bestsellers glorifying the war, while Tatsuzō Ishikawa attempted to publish a disturbingly realistic account of
9804-482: The end of 2007 cell phone novels comprised four of the top five fiction best sellers. Female writers in Japan enjoyed a brief period of success during the Heian period , but were undermined following the decline in power of the Imperial Court in the 14th century. Later, in the Meiji era , earlier works written by women such as Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon were championed amongst the earliest examples of
9933-412: The end of the 20th century. Visual novels , a type of interactive fiction , were produced for personal computers beginning in the 1980s. Cell phone novels appeared in the early 21st century. Written by and for cell phone users , the novels — typically romances read by young women — have become very popular both online and in print. Some, such as Love Sky , have sold millions of print copies, and at
10062-525: The essence of the Heian court and as a novelist "succeeded perhaps even beyond her own expectations." Like Shakespeare, her work has been the subject of reams of criticism and many books. Kyoto held a year-long celebration commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Genji in 2008, with poetry competitions, visits to the Tale of Genji Museum in Uji and Ishiyama-dera (where a life size rendition of Murasaki at her desk
10191-490: The existence of other people .... But when they get to know me, they find to their extreme surprise that I am kind and gentle". Inge says that she was too outspoken to make friends at court, and Mulhern thinks Murasaki's court life was comparatively quiet compared to other court poets . Mulhern speculates that her remarks about Izumi were not so much directed at Izumi's poetry but at her behavior, lack of morality and her court liaisons, of which Murasaki disapproved. Rank
10320-685: The extremely popular fantasy/historical romance Nansō Satomi Hakkenden over a period of twenty-eight years to complete (1814–1842), in addition to other yomihon . Santō Kyōden wrote yomihon mostly set in the red-light districts until the Kansei edicts banned such works, and he turned to comedic kibyōshi . Genres included horror, crime stories, morality stories, comedy, and pornography — often accompanied by colorful woodcut prints. Hokusai (1760–1849), perhaps Japan's most famous woodblock print artist, also illustrated fiction as well as his famous 36 Views of Mount Fuji . Nevertheless, in
10449-756: The family had a reputation among the literati through Murasaki's paternal great-grandfather and grandfather, both of whom were well-known poets. Her great-grandfather, Fujiwara no Kanesuke, had 56 poems included in 13 of the Twenty-one Imperial Anthologies , the Collections of Thirty-six Poets and the Yamato Monogatari ( Tales of Yamato ). Her great-grandfather and grandfather were both friendly with Ki no Tsurayuki , who became notable for popularizing Japanese-language verse . Her father, Fujiwara no Tametoki , attended
10578-490: The inescapable sorrow of romantic love". The main theme is that of the fragility of life, "the sorrow of human existence" ( mono no aware ), a term used over a thousand times in Genji . Keene speculates that in her tale of the "shining prince", Murasaki may have created for herself an idealistic escape from court life, which she found less than savory. In Prince Genji she formed a gifted, comely, refined, yet human and sympathetic protagonist . Keene writes that Genji gives
10707-434: The lavish ceremonies, the complicated courtships, the "complexities of the marriage system", and in elaborate detail, the birth of Shōshi's two sons. It is likely that Murasaki enjoyed writing in solitude. She believed she did not fit well with the general atmosphere of the court, writing of herself: "I am wrapped up in the study of ancient stories ... living all the time in a poetical world of my own scarcely realizing
10836-424: The lowered status of women. As the importance of the imperial court continued to decline, a major feature of Muromachi literature (1333–1603) was the spread of cultural activity through all levels of society. Classical court literature, which had been the focal point of Japanese literature up until this point, gradually disappeared. New genres such as renga , or linked verse, and Noh theater developed among
10965-490: The matter to anybody." Murasaki probably earned an ambiguous nickname, "The Lady of the Chronicles" ( Nihongi no tsubone ), for teaching Shōshi Chinese literature. A lady-in-waiting who disliked Murasaki accused her of flaunting her knowledge of Chinese and began calling her "The Lady of the Chronicles"—an allusion to the classic Chronicles of Japan —after an incident in which chapters from Genji were read aloud to
11094-438: The mid-Heian period, but Murasaki Shikibu's unique genius has made the work for many a powerful statement of human relationships, the impossibility of permanent happiness in love ... and the vital importance, in a world of sorrows, of sensitivity to the feelings of others." Prince Genji recognizes in each of his lovers the inner beauty of the woman and the fragility of life, which according to Keene, makes him heroic. The story
11223-483: The modern period, manga . In her fictionalized account of Murasaki's life, The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel , Liza Dalby has Murasaki involved in a romance during her travels with her father to Echizen Province. The Tale of the Genji is recognized as an enduring classic. McCullough writes that Murasaki "is both the quintessential representative of a unique society and a writer who speaks to universal human concerns with
11352-868: The nobility became increasingly isolated at the Heian Palace in government posts and court service. Courtiers became overly refined with little to do, insulated from reality, preoccupied with the minutiae of court life, turning to artistic endeavors. Emotions were commonly expressed through the artistic use of textiles, fragrances, calligraphy, colored paper, poetry, and layering of clothing in pleasing color combinations—according to mood and season. Those who showed an inability to follow conventional aesthetics quickly lost popularity, particularly at court. Popular pastimes for Heian noblewomen—who adhered to rigid fashions of floor-length hair, whitened skin and blackened teeth—included having love affairs, writing poetry and keeping diaries. The literature that Heian court women wrote
11481-545: The northern Fujiwara clan descending from Fujiwara no Yoshifusa , the first 9th century Fujiwara regent . The Fujiwara clan dominated court politics until the end of the 11th century through strategically marrying their daughters into the imperial family and the use of regencies. In the late 10th century and early 11th century, Fujiwara no Michinaga , the so-called Mido Kampaku, arranged his four daughters into marriages with emperors, giving him unprecedented power. Murasaki's great-grandfather, Fujiwara no Kanesuke , had been in
11610-449: The past. Strikingly, Buddhist attitudes about the importance of knowing oneself and the poignant impermanence of things formed an undercurrent to sharp social criticism of this material age. There was a growing emphasis on women's roles, the Japanese persona in the modern world, and the malaise of common people lost in the complexities of urban culture. Popular fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature all flourished in urban Japan in
11739-432: The pleasure quarters, the so-called Ukiyozōshi (" floating world ") genre. Ihara's Life of an Amorous Man is considered the first work in this genre. Although Ihara's works were not regarded as high literature at the time because it had been aimed towards and popularized by the chōnin (merchant classes), they became popular and were key to the development and spread of ukiyozōshi . Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)
11868-421: The poetic repertoire. It became widely used for longer works embodying new intellectual themes. Young Japanese prose writers and dramatists faced a suddenly-broadened horizon of new ideas and artistic schools, with novelists amongst some of the first to assimilate these concepts successfully into their writing. Natsume Sōseki 's (1867–1916) humorous novel Wagahai wa neko de aru ( I Am a Cat , 1905) employed
11997-414: The popularity of the Chinese language diminished in the late Heian era, Chinese ballads continued to be popular, including those written by Bai Juyi . Murasaki taught Chinese to Shōshi who was interested in Chinese art and Juyi's ballads. Upon becoming Empress, Shōshi installed screens decorated with Chinese script , causing outrage because written Chinese was considered the language of men, far removed from
12126-564: The post-war period. Nobuo Kojima 's short story "The American School" portrays a group of Japanese teachers of English who, in the immediate aftermath of the war, deal with the American occupation in varying ways. Prominent writers of the 1970s and 1980s were identified with intellectual and moral issues in their attempts to raise social and political consciousness. One of them, Kenzaburō Ōe , who published one of his best-known works, A Personal Matter in 1964, became Japan's second winner of
12255-460: The quality of those attending. Ichijō's mother and Michinaga's sister, Senshi, had an influential salon, and Michinaga probably wanted Shōshi to surround herself with skilled women such as Murasaki to build a rival salon. Shōshi was 16 to 19 when Murasaki joined her court, either in 1005 or 1006. According to Arthur Waley , Shōshi was a serious-minded young lady, whose living arrangements were divided between her father's household and her court at
12384-568: The same time Teika included a selection of Murasaki's works in an imperial anthology, New Collections of Ancient and Modern Times . Murasaki is best known for her The Tale of Genji , a three-part novel spanning 1100 pages and 54 chapters, which is thought to have taken a decade to complete. The earliest chapters were possibly written for a private patron either during her marriage or shortly after her husband's death. She continued writing while at court and probably finished while still in service to Shōshi. She would have needed patronage to produce
12513-573: The story became known and she gained a reputation as an author. In her early to mid-thirties, she became a lady-in-waiting ( nyōbō ) at court, most likely because of her reputation as an author. Chieko Mulhern writes in Japanese Women Writers, a Biocritical Sourcebook that scholars have wondered why Murasaki made such a move at a comparatively late period in her life. Her diary evidences that she exchanged poetry with Michinaga after her husband's death, leading to speculation that
12642-464: The title. As historian Donald Shively explains, "Michinaga shocked even his admirers by arranging for the unprecedented appointment of Teishi (or Sadako) and Shōshi as concurrent empresses of the same emperor, Teishi holding the usual title of "Lustrous Heir-bearer" kōgō and Shōshi that of "Inner Palatine" ( chūgū ), a toponymically derived equivalent coined for the occasion". About five years later, Michinaga brought Murasaki to Shōshi's court, in
12771-465: The top tier of the aristocracy, but her branch of the family gradually lost power and by the time of Murasaki's birth was at the middle to lower ranks of the Heian aristocracy—the level of provincial governors . The lower ranks of the nobility were typically posted away from court to undesirable positions in the provinces, exiled from the centralized power and court in Kyoto . Despite the loss of status,
12900-399: The two may have been lovers. Bowring sees no evidence that she was brought to court as Michinaga's concubine , although he did bring her to court without following official channels. Mulhern thinks Michinaga wanted to have Murasaki at court to educate his daughter Shōshi. Heian culture and court life reached a peak early in the 11th century. The population of Kyoto grew to around 100,000 as
13029-564: The winters that she enjoyed, "I love to see the snow here". According to Waley, Murasaki may not have been unhappy with court life in general but bored in Shōshi's court. He speculates she would have preferred to serve with the Lady Senshi, whose household seems to have been less strict and more light-hearted. In her diary, Murasaki wrote about Shōshi's court, "[she] has gathered round her a number of very worthy young ladies ... Her Majesty
13158-447: The women at her court, as Shōnagon served Shōshi's rival empress. Furthermore, he believes Murasaki was brought to court to write Genji in response to Shōnagon's popular Pillow Book . Murasaki contrasted herself to Shōnagon in a variety of ways. She denigrated the pillow book genre and, unlike Shōnagon, who flaunted her knowledge of Chinese, Murasaki pretended to not know the language, regarding it as pretentious and affected. Although
13287-439: The women's quarters. The study of Chinese was thought to be unladylike and went against the notion that only men should have access to the literature. Women were supposed to read and write only in Japanese, which separated them through language from government and the power structure. Murasaki, with her unconventional classical Chinese education, was one of the few women available to teach Shōshi classical Chinese. Bowring writes it
13416-422: The written language of intimacy and of noblewomen, setting the foundation for unique forms of Japanese literature . Chinese was taught to Murasaki's brother as preparation for a career in government, and during her childhood, living in her father's household, she learned and became proficient in classical Chinese . In her diary she wrote, "When my brother ... was a young boy learning the Chinese classics, I
13545-432: Was Konjaku Monogatarishū , a collection of over a thousand stories in 31 volumes. The volumes cover various tales from India , China and Japan. The 10th-century Japanese narrative, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter ( Taketori Monogatari ) , can be considered an early example of proto- science fiction . The protagonist of the story, Kaguya- hime , is a princess from the Moon who is sent to Earth for safety during
13674-466: Was "almost subversive" that Murasaki knew Chinese and taught the language to Shōshi. Murasaki, who was reticent about her Chinese education, held the lessons between the two women in secret, writing in her diary, "Since last summer ... very secretly, in odd moments when there happened to be no one about, I have been reading with Her Majesty ... There has of course been no question of formal lessons ... I have thought it best to say nothing about
13803-469: Was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period . She was best known as the author of The Tale of Genji , widely considered to be one of the world's first novels , written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is a descriptive name; her personal name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara no Kaoruko ( 藤原香子 ) , who was mentioned in
13932-415: Was a court functionary and bureaucrat at the Ministry of Ceremonials, with a reputation for dressing extravagantly and as a talented dancer. In his late forties at the time of their marriage, he had multiple households with an unknown number of wives and offspring. Gregarious and well-known at court, he was involved in numerous romantic relationships that may have continued after his marriage to Murasaki. As
14061-399: Was again associated with Ishiyama-dera: "To this beautiful spot, it is said, Murasaki no Shikibu [sic] retired from court life to devote the remainder of her days to literature and religion. There are sceptics, however, Motoori being one, who refuse to believe this story, pointing out ... that it is irreconcilable with known facts. On the other hand, the very chamber in the temple where
14190-518: Was an intellectual movement situated in Edo and centered on the study of Dutch (and by subsequently western ) science and technology, history, philosophy, art, and language, based primarily on the Dutch books imported via Nagasaki. The polymath Hiraga Gennai (1728–1780) was a scholar of rangaku and a writer of popular fiction. Sugita Genpaku (1733–1817) was a Japanese scholar known for his translation of Kaitai Shinsho (New Book of Anatomy) from
14319-409: Was born at a period when Japan was becoming more isolated, after missions to China had ended and a stronger national culture was emerging. In the 9th and 10th centuries, Japanese gradually became a written language through the development of kana , a syllabary based on abbreviations of Chinese characters. In Murasaki's lifetime, men continued to write formally in Chinese , but kana became
14448-440: Was born in 999. Two years later Nobutaka died during a cholera epidemic. As a married woman Murasaki would have had servants to run the household and care for her daughter, giving her ample leisure time. She enjoyed reading and had access to romances ( monogatari ) such as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and The Tales of Ise . Scholars believe she may have started writing The Tale of Genji before her husband's death; it
14577-406: Was brought in by Mori Ōgai with his anthology of translated poems (1889) and carried to its height by Tōson Shimazaki , alongside magazines such as Myōjō and Bungaku-kai in the early 1900s. Mori also wrote some modern novels including The Dancing Girl (1890), The Wild Geese (1911), then later wrote historical novels. Natsume Sōseki, who is often compared with Mori Ōgai, wrote I Am
14706-697: Was considered symbolic of court culture, by the middle of the Edo period the mass-produced ukiyo-e prints made the illustrations accessible for the samurai classes and commoners. In Envisioning the "Tale of Genji" Shirane observes that " The Tale of Genji has become many things to many different audiences through many different media over a thousand years ... unmatched by any other Japanese text or artifact." The work and its author were popularized through its illustrations in various media: emaki (illustrated handscrolls); byōbu-e (screen paintings), ukiyo-e (woodblock prints); films, comics, and in
14835-441: Was contradictory. In Teishi's court, the Chinese language had been flaunted and considered a symbol of imperial rule and superiority. Yet, in Shōshi's salon there was a great deal of hostility towards the language—perhaps owing to political expedience during a period when Chinese began to be rejected in favor of Japanese—even though Shōshi herself was a student of the language. The hostility may have affected Murasaki and her opinion of
14964-573: Was customary, she would have remained in her father's household where her husband would have visited her. Nobutaka had been granted more than one governorship, and by the time of his marriage to Murasaki he was probably quite wealthy. Interpretations of their marital relationship differ among scholars: Richard Bowring suggests a harmonious marriage, while Japanese literature scholar Haruo Shirane finds evidence of resentment towards her husband in Murasaki’s poems. The couple's daughter, Kenshi (Kataiko),
15093-449: Was discredited and banished from court in 996 following a scandal involving his shooting at the retired Emperor Kazan , causing her to lose power. Four years later Michinaga sent Shōshi, his eldest daughter, to Emperor Ichijō's harem when she was about 12. A year after placing Shōshi in the imperial harem, in an effort to undermine Teishi's influence and increase Shōshi's standing, Michinaga had her named Empress although Teishi already held
15222-440: Was displayed), and women dressing in traditional 12-layer Heian court jūnihitoe and ankle-length wigs. The author and her work inspired museum exhibits and Genji manga spin-offs. The design on the reverse of the first 2000 yen note commemorated her and The Tale of Genji . A plant bearing purple berries has been named after her. A Genji Album , only in the 1970s dated to 1510, is housed at Harvard University . The album
15351-531: Was highly praised by Soseki, wrote short stories including Rashōmon (1915) with an intellectual and analytic attitude and represented Neo-realism in the mid-1910s. During the 1920s and early 1930s the proletarian literary movement, comprising such writers as Takiji Kobayashi , Denji Kuroshima , Yuriko Miyamoto and Ineko Sata produced a politically radical literature depicting the harsh lives of workers, peasants, women, and other downtrodden members of society, and their struggles for change. Pre-war Japan saw
15480-420: Was important in Heian court society and Murasaki would not have felt herself to have much, if anything, in common with the higher ranked and more powerful Fujiwaras. In her diary, she wrote of her life at court: "I realized that my branch of the family was a very humble one; but the thought seldom troubled me, and I was in those days far indeed from the painful consciousness of inferiority which makes life at Court
15609-487: Was in the habit of listening to him and I became unusually proficient at understanding those passages that he found too difficult to understand and memorize. Father, a most learned man, was always regretting the fact: 'Just my luck,' he would say, 'What a pity she was not born a man! ' " With her brother she studied Chinese literature , and she probably also received instruction in more traditional subjects such as music, calligraphy and Japanese poetry . Murasaki's education
15738-544: Was inspired to write The Tale of Genji on an August night while looking at the Moon. Although scholars dismiss the factual basis of the story of her retreat, Japanese artists often depicted her at Ishiyama Temple staring at the Moon for inspiration. She may have been commissioned to write the story and may have known an exiled courtier in a similar position to her hero Prince Genji . Murasaki would have distributed newly written chapters of Genji to friends who in turn would have re-copied them and passed them on. By this practice
15867-405: Was popular: Emperor Ichijō had it read to him, even though it was written in Japanese. By 1021 all the chapters were known to be complete and the work was sought after in the provinces where it was scarce. Murasaki's reputation and influence have not diminished since her lifetime when she, with other Heian women writers, was instrumental in developing Japanese into a written language. Her writing
15996-529: Was posted to a four-year governorship in Echizen Province , Murasaki went with him, although it was uncommon for a noblewoman of the period to travel such a distance that could take as long as five days. She returned to Kyoto, probably in 998, to marry her father's friend Fujiwara no Nobutaka [ ja ] , a much older second cousin. Descended from the same branch of the Fujiwara clan, he
16125-416: Was required reading for court poets as early as the 12th century as her work began to be studied by scholars who generated authoritative versions and criticism. Within a century of her death she was highly regarded as a classical writer. In the 17th century, Murasaki's work became emblematic of Confucian philosophy and women were encouraged to read her books. In 1673, Kumazawa Banzan argued that her writing
16254-1103: Was unorthodox. Louis Perez explains in The History of Japan that "Women ... were thought to be incapable of real intelligence and therefore were not educated in Chinese." Murasaki was aware that others saw her as "pretentious, awkward, difficult to approach, prickly, too fond of her tales, haughty, prone to versifying, disdainful, cantankerous and scornful". Asian literature scholar Thomas Inge believes she had "a forceful personality that seldom won her friends." Aristocratic Heian women lived restricted and secluded lives, allowed to speak to men only when they were close relatives or household members. Murasaki's autobiographical poetry shows that she socialized with women but had limited contact with men other than her father and brother; she often exchanged poetry with women but never with men. Unlike most noblewomen of her status, however, she did not marry on reaching puberty; instead she stayed in her father's household until her mid-twenties or perhaps even to her early thirties. In 996 when her father
16383-674: Was valuable for its sensitivity and depiction of emotions. He wrote in his Discursive Commentary on Genji that when "human feelings are not understood the harmony of the Five Human Relationships is lost." The Tale of Genji was copied and illustrated in various forms as early as a century after Murasaki's death. The Genji Monogatari Emaki , is a late Heian era 12th century handscroll , consisting of four scrolls, 19 paintings, and 20 sheets of calligraphy. The illustrations, definitively dated to between 1110 and 1120, have been tentatively attributed to Fujiwara no Takachika and
16512-432: Was withdrawn and somber. No surviving records show that she entered poetry competitions; she appears to have exchanged few poems or letters with other women during her service. In general, unlike Shōnagon, Murasaki gives the impression in her diary that she disliked court life, the other ladies-in-waiting, and the drunken revelry. She did, however, become close friends with a lady-in-waiting named Lady Saishō, and she wrote of
16641-415: Was written during the largely peaceful Tokugawa shogunate (commonly referred to as the Edo period ). Due in large part to the rise of the working and middle classes in the new capital of Edo (modern Tokyo ), forms of popular drama developed which would later evolve into kabuki . The jōruri and kabuki dramatist Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1725) became popular at the end of the 17th century, and he
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